Bun In The Oven
by UndeterminedLove
Summary: Zoe & Max find out she is pregnant but will it all be plain sailing? (Based on my own experience, everything in this actually happened to me)
1. Chapter 1

Zoe & Max had been together for nearly 3 years now. They had been living together for about a year.

Zoe rolled over and looked at Max fast asleep, she smiled and stoked his hair. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes.

"Morning beautiful" he smiled leaning in to kiss Zoe.

"Morning gorgeous" she replied, "Coffee?"

Max smiled and nodded like a happy child. Zoe got out of bed & went into the kitchen & made coffee. The smell hit her and made her nauseous. 'Thats weird' she thought but put it to the back of her mind and took the two cups back up to bed.

She got comfy cuddled next Max and yawned.

"You still feeling tired baby?"

"Yeah, it's probably nothing, could just be iron levels. I'll get Tess to do some tests for me."

They both got ready for work & set off. Zoe was no longer clinical lead and enjoyed doing what she did best which was being a great doctor. She loved being on the front line of emergency medicine.

On her break she spoke to Tess who did a finger prick test & her Iron levels came back normal.

"11.5" Tess said, "that's fine, we can check for an infection of some kind just in case." Tess handed her a small pot & Zoe went to the toilet. She came out with the pot wrapped in tissue to keep her dignity & went straight back to Tess.

"This shows how good our friendship is when you're looking at a pot of my own pee" Zoe joked. Tess pulled out a strip and dipped it. Everything came back normal, " a few leukocytes but nothing to worry about." Tess paused for a moment. "Zoe have you done a pregnancy test?"

"No, I'm on the pill anyway so I couldn't be, all I've been feeling is really tired, nothing else apart from the odd sicky feeling." Zoe's eyes shot open wide, "No!"

Tess did a test and it came back positive. Zoe sat there is a daze.

"How are you feeling?" Tess asked

"Just give me a minute" Zoe replied holding her finger up. "I need to talk to Max, I mean neither of us wanted kids, that's why we got the cats!" Zoe sat thinking what to do.

"Well can I have a feel of your stomach and see if I can tell you a rough time?"

"Okay" she replied still in her own world. Zoe laid back on the bed as Tess examined her.

"I'd say anything from 8-12 weeks"

"WHAT?!"


	2. Chapter 2

Zoe shot up off the bed & went searching for Max. She looked all around the ED before finding him sat on the bench having a cigarette. He noticed her coming over and offered her a cigarette.

"How did it go with Tess?" he asked

"8-12 weeks" she replied.  
"What?" Max was very confused at the response.

"I'm 8-12 weeks according to Tess" the dazed look still apparent on her face.

"Oh...erm" Max was gobsmacked & didn't know what to say.

"I know." They both sat in silence for 10 minutes holding hands. Their minds spinning about what they would do.

Max finally spoke "I don't think I'm cut out to be dad material."

"I know how you feel baby, whatever happens we will stick together. I don't think I'm mentally strong enough for either decision." Zoe replied feeling very guilty.

"Yeah, you with a full night's sleep can be moody, imagine sleepless nights & hormones. I won't make it to their first birthday" he joked to lighten the mood.

Zoe chuckled before playfully nudging Max.

"I have an idea, how about we book in a scan & find out exactly how far along I am and go from there? And also how about we go out for dinner & have a normal evening?" Max smiled back at Zoe & nodded.

They went back inside where Tess was waiting for them.

"I hope you two are okay, & whatever you decide I will support you" she smiled before hugging Zoe.

Max & Zoe went home early & rang the clinic, they had a scan booked for the following day. For the rest of the evening they didn't really say much to each other. They were both still in shock & worry about what to do. They sat & ate their meal before Zoe started to feel tired.

"Let's get you home" Max said helping her out of a chair.

"Max, I'm pregnant not disabled...wow that was weird to say." Suddenly Zoe burst into tears & threw herself into Max's arm. "What are we going to do?"


	3. Chapter 3

It was the morning of Zoe's scan. Her and Max has barely slept with their brains going into overdrive. They got dressed and set off to the clinic. The closest clinic to give them a scan before the weekend was 40 miles away but they couldn't wait that long. Zoe drove & they sat in silence for the whole journey.

After an hour they reached the clinic & Zoe pulled up outside. She took a long deep breath and leant her head against the steering wheel. Her head was full of 101 questions with no answers. Max leant over and put his hand on top of hers rubbing his thumb along her knuckles. Her head lifted and she stared into Max's eyes. They were full of compassion and hope with yet a hint of fear which he tried to hide.

They both exited her car and headed into the reception area.

"Name?" the receptionist asked.

"Zoe Hanna, I have a scan booked for 10am"

"Yep, through those doors take a seat and wait to be called"

They both went to the waiting area, after 5 minutes Zoe was called but Max was told to stay in the waiting area.

"Don't worry" the nurse said, "He will be allowed upstairs soon." Zoe followed the nurse upstairs to another waiting room where other women were sat alone. After 30 minutes Zoe was called into the examination room.

"How can I help you today?" the nurse asked.

"Well, I've just found out I am pregnant. We have no idea how far along I am or what we are going to do. We just wanted to discuss options with you."

"Right, well lie back and I can let you know how far along you are." Zoe leant back and pulled her top up. She felt the gel hit the bottom of her stomach and the coolness of it sent goose bumps all over her body. The nurse finished the scan and printed off images before sealing them in an envelope.

"Would you like to know now or wait for your partner?"

"I'd like Max here please."

"Alright, I'll go get him for you, take a seat."

Zoe sat in a chair by the nurses desk, it felt like an eternity before Max walked through the door. She instantly jumped up to hug him. She had felt so alone & scared without him by her side. They both sat, hand in hand as the nurse logged onto the system.

"Right, firstly can I ask where you got the information of 8-12 weeks?"

"Oh a nurse felt to see how high my uterus was" said Zoe

"Well she was completely off the mark. You're not 8-12 weeks, you're 17 weeks & 5 days"

**You may think this is far-fetched someone finding out at 17 weeks but it actually happened. I had no idea at all.**


	4. Chapter 4

Zoe & Max looked at each other in shock.

"Sorry how long?" Max asked thinking he had misheard the nurse.

"17 weeks, 5 days and baby has a good heartbeat."

Zoe sat there; she had the nurse's words 'good heartbeat' on repeat in her head. In that moment she knew exactly what she wanted to do. There was only one possible outcome for her.

"If you are considering a termination I would like to stress that you only have a few weeks to make your decision as legally after that time we can't do anything." The nurse smiling at Zoe "But judging from your face I can see you have doubt & I would not accept an answer from you today. Go home and talk about it."

They both nodded and thanked the nurse before heading back to the car.

"I don't know what to do Max. I don't think I'm emotionally strong enough to go through that but I'm scared that together it would make or break us having a baby." Zoe started the engine and set off driving back home.

"I know baby, I don't know if I'm cut out for shitty nappies" he laughed. Zoe chuckled.

"We can just about manage the litter trays. I don't understand how this happened. I mean I'm on the pill." She tracked back in her mind trying to work out how she became pregnant and then it clicked. "Oh my God Max! I know how this happened. Remember about 3 months ago we went to that restaurant and I got really ill from the food? If you are sick the pill doesn't work for 7 days after! I completely forgot!"

Max looked at her trying to remember.

"And here was me thinking I had super sperm" he joked again. Zoe knew this was Max's defence mechanism when he was stressed. "How would you feel about having a baby?"

"I'm not sure, I mean when she said 'good heartbeat' I felt so relieved and I had no idea why. I mean come on I'm not really the maternal type am I?"

"You never know until you try" Max replied smiling at her. A huge smile spread across Zoes face.

"Max are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Let's have a baby"


	5. Chapter 5

Zoe & Max drove straight to Max's old house where Robyn still lived to tell her first. She was already past the first trimester so they didn't have to worry about saying anything. They let themselves in and found Robyn in the garden.

"Robyn, you free for a minute? We've got something to tell you," Max said

"Oh, hey how's it going?" she asked. Zoe and Max looked at each other and smiled. "Oh my God congratulations" Robyn ran towards Zoe grabbing her hand and checking her fingers, "Wait, where's the ring?"

"What? No we're not engaged" zoe laughed. "I'm pregnant...yep still weird to say"

Robyn stood in shock for a minute before grabbing both of them into an embrace.

"How far gone are you? You're not showing at all"

"You're not going to believe this, nearly 18 weeks"

"Wow! How long have you known for, you kept that quiet"

Max laughed "Well in 30 minutes we have known for 32 hours"

"Wait, you mean you had no idea?" Robyn asked trying to get her head around the situation.

"Yeah" Zoe replied, "not a clue."

Robyn congratulated them and ran inside. She came back a minute later with the phone.

"Ring mum now" She said holding out the phone to Max.

"I'll tell her when I'm ready."

"Now!" she said firmer.

"Okay okay" he replied snatching the phone off her and walking into the house.

"I know he wouldn't have told her until the last minute unless I made him" Robyn said.

They spent about an hour at Robyns before heading home. They ate dinner and crawled into bed. Zoe was laid on her back with max curled in her arms & his hand on her stomach.

"What would you prefer, girl or boy?" Max asked looking up at her.

"I'd say boy, mainly because I know what I was like as a teenager," she replied laughing.

"I'd say boy too, someone else to play games with" he replied. Zoe jabbed him in the side.

"Sexist." They both smiled at each other. Max planted a kiss on Zoe forehead before returning to his original position & they both fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a week since Zoe & Max had found out about the baby & it was her booking in appointment with her doctor. She got asked all the routine questions, family history of illnesses, bmi, lifestyle etc. She was told her 20 week can would be the following week as the NHS did not have access the clinics records which the previously visited and they wanted to make sure for themselves that everything was okay.

Zoe lay down on the bed and the midwife got a Doppler out of her bag. She found the babies heartbeat & turned the volume up. Zoe & Max's eyes met instantly listening to their child's heartbeat for the first time. They felt like time stood still, like nothing else mattered in the world apart from their little family. Both of them were overcome with emotion as their eyes started to glisten. Max got out his phone & recorded the heartbeat.

They left the midwifes office arm in arm trying to comprehend how amazing one little sound could make them feel.

That night they were sat at the table eating dinner when Zoe suddenly stopped. She felt a bubble like feeling in her stomach that she had never felt before. Almost like a small bubble slowly rising inside.

"You okay?" Max asked.

"Yeah, I think baby just kicked" she smiled tears in her eyes again.

"Awww" Max held out his hand to Zoe. "You know you need to keep you emotions under control" he joked.

"I know, I know. You've seen me cry more in the past week than our 3 year relationship"

It was the time for Zoes 20 week scan and they were about to find out what they were having. After her appointment they planned to go to the ED and announce their news. They didn't want to tell everyone until they knew an exact due date & gender.

Zoe & Max went into the ultrasound room & the midwife started examining Zoe's stomach. Within seconds an image of their baby was up on the screen. She felt herself overcome with emotions once again.

"Bloody hormones" she joked.

"You know your baby is a complete fidget child" the midwife says. "Every time I get a good angle they move!"

"Takes after her dad then, he can't sit still either" replied Zoe smiling at Max.

"Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes please" they both said in unison with big grins across their faces.

"It's a girl."


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter will be short because nothing interesting happens until later on after this and I want it to start in a new chapter.**

Zoe & Max went straight to the ED baby scans in hand. They walked through the doors and up to the desk.

"Hi Louise, can you get everyone gathered in the staff room, I need to speak to you all." She then ran off to find Tess before everyone else found out.

"Tess! It's a girl" she said with the biggest smile Tess had ever seen.

"Oh! Brilliant. I'm so happy for you! When is she due?"

"10th Feb, but because I was booked in late if I've not gone into labour by then I'll be induced"

"Does everyone else know yet?"

"Only Robyn, but about to announce it to everyone else now"

Max & Zoe told the staff & they were all delighted for them. They were all hugging them and shocked by the sudden news especially as it was only 20 weeks until her due date.


	8. Chapter 8

It was Christmas Eve and everyone was at the pub celebrating. Zoe offered to drive to Max could have some drinks. It had become a tradition to go out each Christmas Eve and get completely hammered but for obvious reasons Zoe wasn't drinking. They had a brilliant night of laughs. At midnight they left the others & set off home.

They sat in the front room and gave each other their presents. They curled up watching tv for an house and headed to bed. Max had been put off the idea of sex as he said 'he felt like he would hit the babies head' which made Zoe cry with laughter. As he had had quite a bit to drink he didn't care. He kissed Zoe and one hand travelled up her leg. Instantly he noticed something was wrong. He looked at his hand and it was covered in blood.

"Oh my God Zoe!"

"What?"

"You're Bleeding" Max started instantly worrying.

"Stay calm" Zoe said, come on lets get to the hospital. Zoe got in the car and drove to hospital as Max was over the limit and there was an hour wait for a taxi. Max tried to persuade her to call an ambulance but she was too stubborn to do so.

Half was to the hospital she got a slight pain at the bottom of her stomach.

"OW" she said

"You okay?" asked Max

"Erm, yeah just got a weird pain"

As they got closer & closer to the hospital Zoe started noticing the pain more & more. They reached the delivery suite and were rushed straight into a room. Zoe was hooked up to a tococardiograph machine which monitored the babies heart rate & how Zoe was contracting.

At this point she was only 33 weeks pregnant and the midwives were worried about the babies lungs not being fully developed.

"Zoe, we are just going to give you an injection in your head, you are 2cms dilated but we are worried about babies lungs so we just want to speed up their development process."

Zoe & Max stared at each other in shock.

"So I am in labour?" she asked.

"Well, you are 2cms, we class 3cms or above as established labour so we are just going to monitor you. As far as we are aware this injection will slow down your labour & hopefully stop it"

Zoe spent the next 5 hours in delivery suite before being wheeled up to the ward.

"Hi," the ward sister said, "We're just going to have to keep you 24 hours to make sure the bleeding has stopped. I'm sorry you're going to be in here on Christmas day" she apologised.

Max sat by Zoe's side all day. He didn't move unless he absolutely had to.

"Max, I'm fine honestly," Zoe said.

"Zoe, I've never been more scared in my entire life, I thought we were about to lose..." his voice cracked and couldn't finish off his sentence.

"I know babe, I know. But it's all okay now. I'm fine and she is fine." She gave him a reassuring smile and hug.

Suddenly a nurse came over to them.

"Just to let you know your partner will have to leave shortly as it's nearly 7:30."

Max nodded to her. He turned to look back at Zoe who had tears in her eyes.

"Baby, whats wrong?"

"I don't want you to go, I'm scared"

"Oh, don't be silly. Look I'm going to have to go home and feed the cats anyway. I will be sat on the other side of that door from 7am."

"They don't open them until 8"

"Exactly" he said smiling at her. Max stood up, gave Zoe one last kiss before leaving for the night. In the three years they had been together they had only spent 2 nights away from each other. Zoe sighed rolled over and tried to get some sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

It was the 20th January and Zoe wasn't due for another 3 weeks. She had only been off work for a week but was already going out of her mind with boredom. She woke up and saw Max off to work. He hated having to go in everyday hoping she would be okay. She had been up part of the night with pains but thought it was just Braxton Hicks like the past 4 times Max pushed they go to delivery suite only to be knocked back again.

Throughout the day Zoe's contractions were getting more & more noticeable. They weren't painful just uncomfortable. She went for a bath to try and ease them but that failed. She was actually quite excited that it could be labour as she was completely fed up of being pregnant now. She sat in the front room watching daytime TV whilst bouncing on her ball trying to keep the contractions going.

It reached 2pm and they started to fade again, 'Oh sod this' she thought and went to the local supermarket. She went on a 2 hours walk around the store pushing a heavy trolley. 'If this doesn't kick start it again nothing will.' She got back home and the pain started again. She lay on the sofa and waited for Max to return home. He finished at 4pm and was home for 4:30.

"You okay baby?" he asked. Zoe looked slightly flushed and uncomfortable.

"Yeah, just a few twinges, but not sure if it's happening or not. I'm going to leave it a while and see how it goes." Max agreed and started sorting tea. Zoe sat and ate; she could only manage a few mouthfuls due to being so uncomfortable.

After 2 hours of walking round, Max pestering her to ring delivery suite and yet another bath she finally gave in. She rang them and they asked her to come in as it sounded like early labour.

They were shown to a room & Zoe was told to get on the bed. They hooked her up to the monitor again & checked babies heart rate. They then examined Zoe.

"You're currently 3cms, so baby will be on its way within the next 48 hours" explained the midwife.

Zoe & Max were ecstatic, after 19 weeks they were going to meet their baby girl. An hour went by and the midwife came to check the monitor. She had a confused look on her face. "I'm just going to get the doctor" she explained.

A look of panic came over Zoes face. Max grabbed her hand. "Baby it's going to be fine I promise."

The doctor came in and checked the monitor also.

"Zoe, are you okay lying on your side for a while? Basically every time you get a contraction babies heart rate drops. We just want to see if this will help at all. Are you wanting any painkillers?"

"No, I'm good at the moment thanks" she replied.

"Well, Anna my midwife assistant will be staying in the room with you"

"What's going to happen if her heart rate doesn't stop dropping?" Zoe asked. As much as she was scared of knowing the answer she knew she had to ask.

"Well we will give it a few hours, see how you are getting on. If you're still contracting & babies heart rate is still dipping with each contraction we will break your waters to hurry on labour just incase"


	10. Chapter 10

A few hours had passed and Zoe was still refusing pain killers, she had asked for paracetamol to which the midwife laughed as she had never been asked by a woman in labour for paracetamol before.

Zoe was pretty calm and happy. Laughing and joking with Max and the midwife.

It was 6am and the doctor returned.

"Right Zoe, I'm going to break your waters now as babies heart rate is still having trouble are you okay with that?"

"Yes that's fine" Zoe replied holding Max's hand.

The doctor pulled out an amniotic hook to pop her waters whilst a midwife had a firm grip on Zoe's bump to ensure the baby stayed in the same position. Zoe felt a sudden warmth around her legs as her waters started rushing out.

"Nope I've lost it" the doctor said.

Zoe shot them all a worried look. "What?"

"Babies moved up and there is a chance the placenta could come out first and baby could be in serious trouble, I'm so sorry but we're going to have to do an emergency C-section" the doctor walked over to the wall and pressed the big red buzzer.

Within seconds 10 nursing staff burst into Zoe's delivery room. Connecting machines & fluids to her. They told Max to grab all of the bags and follow them as they wheeled Zoe to theatre. She lay there watching lights fly past on the ceiling not believing this was actually happening.

"Unfortunately we're going to have to put you to sleep so your partner can't be in the room with you." Zoe burst into tears in disbelief. In minutes she was put to sleep.

Max was told to sit outside the operating theatre whilst they started the surgery. He sat there holding back tears wondering whether Zoe or his daughter would be okay.


	11. Chapter 11

Max sat outside the operating room for what felt like an eternity. At 6:38 he heard a noise coming from the room. A babies cry. His heart leapt. A few minutes later he was holding his little baby girl.

"Here is your daughter sir, we are just working on Zoe now stitching her back up. There was a slight complication so instead of the usual line incision we had to do a 'Y' shaped incision as baby wouldn't come out, we shouldn't be too long." Max nodded not knowing what to say. He was full of different emotions; joy of holding his perfect baby girl but terrified that he didn't know if Zoe was okay yet.

He sat feeding his daughter. An hour later he was invited into the recovery room. He looked at Zoe laid on the hospital bed, still under the aesthetic. She looked pale, oxygen mask on and weak. He had never seen her look more vulnerable in his life.

"Zoe" the doctor said. "Zoe, wake up now." She didn't wake up. It took the doctors half an hour to get Zoe to come around from her sleep. Max by this point was in tears once again 'I can't loose her' he thought 'I just can't'.

Zoe opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Max.

"I'm coming round slowly" she slurred.

"I know baby take your time"

She repeated the phrase 10 times which made Max laugh.

"Jessica?" Zoe said.

"What?" asked Max.

"Jessica?"

"I don't know does she look like a Jessica?" he asked showing her their baby girl for the first time.

"Jessica" she nodded before dosing off again.

A few hours later Zoe was more coherent looking at her baby girl sleeping in the cot next to her bed. She looked at Max and smiled. Her little family was now complete and she was the happiest she had ever been.

**Hope you enjoyed this fan fiction. It is all completely true. Everything that happened to Max & Zoe happened to me & my other half whilst I was pregnant and giving birth. Thank you for reading. Please R&R.**


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